Syrian National Council Information

National Charter: the Kurdish Issue in Syria

Syrians of all backgrounds shall continue their revolution to seize freedom and dignity from a regime that has insulted and wasted human life, and has become accustomed to killing, assaulting, and terrorizing. This regime has claimed the lives of some 20,000 Syrians; and injured, imprisoned, and tortured hundreds of thousands, in plain sight and earshot of the world community.

Based on the national responsibility incumbent upon all political forces that fall within the framework of Syrian revolution, and based on the document "National Covenant for the Future of Syria," signed by parties across the opposition spectrum, and based on the belief in the need to redress the injustice and special circumstances the Kurdish people have faced for decades, the Syrian National Council (SNC) has issued the following National Charter, which describes its vision and commitments to resolve the Kurdish issue in Syria. The SNC invites all forces and political figures to sign it.

Political signatories to the Charter agree to commit to the Syrian Revolution's broad goals: working to topple the Assad junta regime; building a civil, democratic Syria; unifying efforts in the political arena and the field; and establishing an effective national partnership in accordance with the following principles:

The SNC and signatories confirm their commitment to constitutional recognition of the national identity of Kurdish people, and consider the Kurdish issue part and parcel of the national discourse, and recognize the national rights of the Kurdish people within the framework of the unity of Syria's land and people.

Signatories will work toward the abolition of all discriminatory policies, decrees, and measures applied against citizens, addressing their effects and implications and compensating those affected.

The SNC emphasizes that the new Syria is a civil, democratic, and pluralistic country based on a republican form of government and based on the principle of equal citizenship, separation of powers, rotation of power, rule of law, and an expanded and empowered local government.

The new Syria shall guarantee for all its citizens that which is contained within international laws and conventions on human rights, as well as basic freedoms and equality in rights and duties, without any discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin, religion, or gender.

The signatories commit to fighting poverty, to giving areas that have suffered from discriminatory policies adequate attention in the framework of development, reestablishing justice in distributing the national wealth, and working to raise the capabilities and living standards of citizens from all regions and segments of society, especially those areas that suffered from deprivation at the hands of the existing dictatorship.

The new Syria's democratic civil system and constitution shall be the basic guarantee for all national and religious components and its social fabric.

The SNC and signatories shall hold events and activities to work towards the recognition of the Kurdish issue in Syria, and acknowledging the suffering that Kurdish citizens have endured through decades of deprivation and marginalization, in order to build a new Syrian culture based on equality and mutual respect.

Kurdish signatories shall work to strengthen national participation in their events and activities by emphasizing national unity and inviting representatives from all segments of Syrian society, ensuring participation and constructive interaction with the rest of the national fabric.

Signatories will work on the establishment of training programs and workshops to ensure the distinctive participation of the Kurdish youth and activists for the purpose of increasing interaction and strengthening understanding among Syrian youth.

The coming phase requires unifying all Syrian efforts, focusing them with a single view to confront this bloody regime, and to protect our people from the regime's assaults and terror, and to save Syria from the junta that continues to kill and destroy.

The SNC and all signatories are committed to working together to protect and defend our people and to secure all means to overthrow the regime and to build a new Syria that protects its citizens and safeguards their rights.

This document is considered as implementation and part of the National Covenant signed by the spectrum of Syrian opposition forces.